Halloween Surf Monster Candy Cards

Well, we have a little storm creeping around the Atlantic called Sandy. Hopefully it will bring treats- no tricks.
Speaking of treats, here's a little fun project for the surfing family at Halloween to make while you're hunkerin' down (I thought we'd almost gotten through the season without that word).
Get some lollipops and some cardstock (paper can be used, but cardstock works better). If you can get a hold of some bright colored cardstock, that's even MORE fun:

I've already provided you a printable that has 4 cards to a sheet that I made using a cute Surf Monster clip art I had. The cards can be found here as a PDF:

Halloween Candy Cards

 

Here's some examples printed out on the bright cardstock:

 



I used an Exacto knife and a straight edge to cut out each card. You can also cut these out using scissors, of course.

Next, I used a paper punch to punch 2 holes around the stars on the card, then I slid a lollipop stick into the card:

Completed card

Make a whole bunch for all the special little groms and grommettes riding the Sugar Wave through your neighborhood or at your party!

 





Cheap Wetsuit Changing Kit

I can feel the chill already coming in the air in the mornings, enough to start wearing a vest for me (even a spring suit one morning- shhh...don't tell). I especially feel bad for our Northern friends who get to deal with this almost year round. That's dedication to the sport, far more than the best Hawaiian surfer, in my humble opinion.
Trolling the Internet lately, I noticed a neat-o wetsuit changing mat that you can stand on to keep the sand off yourself while you get in it and out of it to avoid getting major exfoliation. Problem is, as you can see, the thing costs almost 30 bucks. Also, I saw a good idea to brush sand off your feet, but- I'll wait 'til you see the price and change your undershorts....... REALLY? THAT MUCH?
So, of course, I've got to find something cheaper. First, the sand brush was a no brainer. You have quite a few options:
A) Look under your sink for a used pot scrubber brush with a long handle- it's free, but you might need to replace it with a new one if you use one a lot.
B) Go to your local Goodwill and pick one up. Don't give me the "Ewww" factor- it's going to be used on your feet, precious.
C) Buy a new one at the dollar store just for this. They usually even sell them at 2 for a dollar, then you have one for your pots.
Saved: 13 bucks plus shipping.

Here's my magical brush.

Hope I'm not infringing on any naming rights.

Next is the changing mat. I wanted to use something I already had or something that does double duty. I thought a car sunshade would be an excellent option. It rinses off easily, folds up compact, and is cheap. I paid $9.99 for my Jumbo version, but I've seen them for $5.00, or you may already have one.

Super hot visual for those who need it.

The kit. $11 bucks + tax,
OR $43 bucks plus shipping for a name brand, your choice.

The brush is also handy to scoot the sand off the mat so you're not standing in the sand you brushed off or brought onto the mat.
Bonus points since the shade can then be used in the Summertime, when you're out of your suit, well, for us lucky Floridians.

DIY Wetsuit Wash

I'm really not a fan of Winter. We're lucky- for the most part- to have pretty temperate Winters here in Florida. However, for most of us, we will be in a Spring suit or 3/2 mm suit at some point in the Winter. For me, I hate the cold, so my wetsuit season starts up earlier than for most people, inevitably bringing out the Wetsuit Style Police to tell me "it's not cold- get that wetsuit off." Yeah, there's nothing better than being a bikini clad popsicle covered in goose bumps, convulsing on the beach from hypothermia effects. Sexy.
Anywho, since wetsuit season is coming around, I figured it would be worth it to make my own DIY wetsuit wash, thinking it's got to be cheaper than what's in the dive shops and online.
My Mother-In-Law knows I do a lot of crafts, so she was so kind to bring me a big box of hotel shampoos and conditioners for Christmas....."No, no, this is great, I didn't need a new board or anything, tiny plastic bottles are even better....." You don't mess with the Mom In Law.
But the little bottles turned out to be useful as good portion sizes for my Wetsuit Wash, and even came with an ingredient I use.
I gathered my materials: delicate care Woolite, white vinegar, and conditioner (that I got from the bottles), a tablespoon measure, and a teaspoon measure, and a measuring cup.

Materials to make the wash

Here's my recipe to make around 5 portions (1 portion = approximately 6 teaspoons liquid):
3 tablespoons Woolite (for general cleaning)
3 tablespoons White Vinegar (for bacteria removal)
3 teaspoons lightweight hair conditioner (to help keep seams and tape supple)
3 tablespoons Water (as a dilute)
5 empty shampoo bottles (at least capable holding 6 teaspoons of liquid or more)
Mix these thoroughly into a measuring cup with a pour spout.

Yields around 1/2 cup of wash

Pour the solution into each empty conditioner bottle, thoroughly stirring the liquid in the measuring cup prior to each bottle pour.
Next, it's very important to label each bottle with "Wetsuit Wash", so it doesn't get mixed up with other stuff. I labeled mine with a simple label maker:

So, I finally ended up with around 5 bottles of wash (shake it up a bit before pouring into your bucket of water):

Finished bottles of wash

This should last me the season and more, since it's recommended to wash your neoprene once a month. I'll agitate the wash into approximately 5 gallons of water in a bucket. It also helps to have a softer bristle brush (like a dish brush), to get off wax and sand while washing. Don't use the brush to scrub into the neoprene, only to remove sand, wax, or other "clingers". Ewww.
Agitate the wetsuit in the wash and water for around 5 minutes, making sure the inside and out gets attention. You can leave it to soak, but not over 15 minutes- it's just not effective past that.
Rinse your suit well until the water is clear, and hang it to dry on a good broad shouldered hanger, or folded over a rod at the waist (this drying method is slower).
So the next time you get bugged by the Wetsuit police, turn around, bend over, and tell them to "smell the freshness". They'll want to make their own wash!

Recycling Bread Tags as Leash Tags

We go through a lot of bread at our house, and like the mini hoarder I am, I've been collecting those plastic bread tags used to close up the bag since I knew there's got to be other uses for them.

Plastic Bread Tags

I've been using them as tags on electrical cords, but I thought these could work to tag my leashes too with the length of the leash, kind of like I did in another similar project.
I used a basic sharpie pen to mark the foot length on the bread tag:

That's all you need, but of course, I had to jazz it up a bit:

I clipped my tag close to the ankle cuff, but it does slide up and down the leash, but doesn't get in the way. I tested it on some kooky wipeouts (yeah, I did those on purpose...sure), and the tag held on fine. I think these work better on Comp weight leashes as opposed to Big Wave weight leashes, which the tag may not fit around. These may not be for you if you're surfing Jaws or Cloudbreak regularly, but they're Festivus for the rest of us, you know?

Tag on the leash

Tag! You're it!

Surf Wax Dispenser

I've had couple of requests for a surf wax dispenser. I can understand, since the stack to wax tends to fall over into a big messy pile. For this craft, I picked up 2 small cardboard containers from the craft store that were about the circumference of a Sex Wax bar. They have square boxes for those inclined to Sticky Bumps.

Next, I needed to remove the lids and cut away and bottoms from each cylinder using an Exacto knife along the edge:

 

Completed!

First, I took one of the cylinders and marked a rectangle along the bottom, the height of the wax bar (with the wrapping), and about half the width of the bar, so it will slide into and out of the bottom.

I then used the Exacto knife to cut along the bottom, even along the bottom edge:

 

At this point, I needed to join the two cylinders together. I used Duct Tape to make a join around the middle:

By keeping the lid of one, we've got a nice cap for the holder.
After that, by taking some clear drying glue and painting it all over the cylinder, I can put cut out surf images from my favorite magazines!

Good way to keep the pile organized, in a corner, out of the way.
Kinda looks like a PEZ Dispenser. I used to collect those, but since it took about 10 PEZ to get any sugar rush, I kept breaking the little heads off. I sold the heads to someone a while back. I think I saw him on the news recently.